End fitting for cargo bar

Claim 2

An end fitting for a cargo bar formed for use in coupling said cargo bar to a first belt rail, said first belt rail being formed as a horizontally extending strip having a horizontally extending outwardly protruding section with a plurality of side-by-side openings therein, a second belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip having a horizontally extending outwardly protruding section with side-by-side vertically extending slots therein, and a third belt rail formed as a vertically extending strip having a vertically extending protruding section with vertically extending generally aligned slots therein, said end fitting including a shank formed for mounting to an end of said cargo bar, said shank terminating in a coupling end, and a first coupling means and a second coupling means extending from said coupling end and formed to secure and couple said end fitting to said first belt rail, said second belt rail and said third belt rail, respectively, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of spaced apart flange means extending outwardly from said coupling end, said flange means being formed and dimensioned for cooperative engagement of said first belt rail with said first coupling means and further for cooperative engagement of said second belt rail with said second coupling means so as to assist in preventing uncoupling of said cargo bar under cargo loading forces when coupled to either of the belt rails, said flange means extending horizontally over and under said outwardly protruding section of said first belt rail and being formed to extend outwardly from said coupling end to substantially the same distance therefrom for engagement with and bearing upon said first belt rail above and below said protruding section, at least one of said first and said second coupling means being mounted to said coupling end for selective movement to a first position enabling coupling with one of the belt rails and to a second position enabling the remainder of said first and said second coupling means to be coupled to the remainder of the belt rails, said first coupling means being formed as at least one pin disposed intermediate said flanges and formed and dimensioned for mating insertion into said opening in said first belt rail, said pin being mounted for selective movement to and from said first position at which said pin is inserted in said openings in said first belt rail and to and from said second position at which said pin bears upon said protruding section of said second belt rail intermediate said slots.

Claim 3

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 1 wherein, said flanges being further spaced apart a distance about equal to the distance between a vertically extending edge defining said slots and an adjacent vertically extending outer edge of said third belt rail, said flanges being further formed for insertion into said slots in said third belt rail.

Claim 4

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 1 wherein, said second coupling means is provided by a downwardly facing notch formed to drop down over and mate with the upwardly facing lower horizontally extending edge defining said slots in said second belt rail.

Claim 5

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 3 wherein, said notch is provided by a notch in the lower end of locking bar means dimensioned for insertion into said slots in said second belt rail.

Claim 6

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 3 wherein, said notch is provided by a notch formed in each of said flanges, said notch facing downwardly upon orientation of said end fitting for insertion of said flanges into said slots on said second belt rail, and at least one of said flanges being further formed of a thickness to substantially fill the width dimension of said slots.

Claim 7

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 5 wherein, said flanges each have a thickness dimension about equal to the thickness dimension of said slots and the spacing between the innermost sides of said flanges is equal to the distance between adjacent edges of said slots in said second belt rail.

Claim 8

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 1 wherein, said second coupling means is provided by locking bar means movably mounted to said coupling end and dimensioned for insertion into said slots in said second belt rail, said locking bar means being resiliently biased to an extended position outwardly of said flanges for insertion into said slots while said flanges bear upon said protruding portion proximate said slots, and said locking bar means being displaceable to a withdrawn position inwardly of said flanges allowing said pin of said first coupling means to couple said cargo bar to said first belt rail.

Claim 9

An end fitting for cargo bar as defined in claim 7 wherein, said locking bar is formed with a lower end formed with a notch adapted to pass beyond and drop down behind the horizontally extending lower edges defining said slots and the upper end of said bar is formed with releasable latch means formed to engage the upper horizontally extending edges defining said slots and to prevent withdrawal of said locking bar from said slots except upon release of said latch means.

Claim 10

An end fitting for a cargo bar formed for coupling of said cargo bar to any one of a first belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side apertures therein and a vertical height, a second belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side vertically extending slots therein with a known spacing between adjacent slots, and a third belt rail formed as a vertically extending strip with an outer edge and a vertically extending protruding section having generally vertically aligned vertically extending slots therein, said slots each having an edge, and said third belt rail having a known distance between said edge of said slots and said outer end of said third belt rail, said end fitting including a shank formed for resiliently extensible mounting to an end of said cargo bar, said shank terminating in a coupling end, first coupling means mounted to said coupling end formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said coupling end and formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said second belt rail, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of relatively spaced apart flanges extending substantially perpendicularly and outwardly of said coupling end proximate the top and the bottom sides of said coupling end to form with said coupling end a U-shaped channel, said flanges extending outwardly of said coupling end to substantially the same distance, said flanges being vertically spaced apart by a distance: (i) at least equal to the vertical height of said protruding section of said first belt rail, (ii) about equal to the spacing between adjacent slots in said second belt rail, and (iii) at least equal to the distance between the edge of said slots and the adjacent outer edge of said third belt rail, and at least one of said flanges having a thickness dimension over a portion thereof about equal to the thickness dimension of said slots in said second and said third belt rails, said flanges further having a height enabling them to be inserted into said slots in said second belt rail and said third belt rail; said first coupling means being formed as a pair of pins extending from said coupling end intermediate said flanges and formed for insertion into said apertures in said first belt rail, said pins being movably mounted to said end fitting and resiliently biased to a first position extending outwardly of said coupling end and retractable to a second position enabling coupling of said end fitting to said second belt rail and said third belt rail; and said second coupling means being formed by said flanges and a slot formed in each of said pair of flanges in a horizontally extending edge thereof, said slot providing a shoulder formed for engagement with an oppositely facing shoulder defining the lower horizontally extending edges of said slots in said second belt rail and said third belt rail to prevent withdrawal of said end fitting therefrom.

Claim 11

An end fitting for a cargo bar formed for coupling of said cargo bar to any one of a first belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side apertures therein and a vertical height, a second belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side vertically extending slots therein with a known spacing between adjacent slots, and a third belt rail formed as a vertically extending strip with an outer edge and a vertically extending protruding section having generally vertically aligned vertically extending slots therein, said slots each having an edge, and said third belt rail having a known distance between said edge of said slots and said outer end of said third belt rail, said end fitting including a shank formed for resiliently extensible mounting to an end of said cargo bar, said shank terminating in a coupling end, first coupling means mounted to said coupling end formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said coupling end and formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said second belt rail, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of relatively spaced apart flanges extending substantially perpendicularly and outwardly of said coupling end proximate the top and the bottom sides of said coupling end to form with said coupling end a U-shaped channel, said flanges extending outwardly of said coupling end to substantially the same distance, said flanges being vertically spaced apart by a distance: (i) at least equal to the vertical height of said protruding section of said first belt rail, (ii) about equal to the spacing between adjacent slots in said second belt rail, and (iii) at least equal to the distance between the edge of said slots and the adjacent outer edge of said third belt rail, and at least one of said flanges having a thickness dimension over a portion thereof about equal to the thickness dimension of said slots in said second and said third belt rails, said flanges further having a height enabling them to be inserted into said slots in said second belt rail and said third belt rail; said first coupling means being formed as a pair of pins extending from said coupling end intermediate said flanges and formed for insertion into said apertures in said first belt rail, said pins being movably mounted to said end fitting and resiliently biased to a first position extending outwardly of said coupling end and retractable to a second position enabling coupling of said end fitting to said second belt rail and said third belt rail; and said second coupling means being formed by said flanges and a slot formed in each of said pair of flanges in a horizontally extending edge thereof, said slot providing a shoulder formed for engagement with an oppositely facing shoulder defining the lower horizontally extending edges of said slots in said second belt rail and said third belt rail to prevent withdrawal of said end fitting therefrom.

Claim 12

An end fitting for a cargo bar formed for coupling of said cargo bar to any one of a first belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side apertures therein, a second belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side vertically extending slots therein, and a third belt rail formed as a vertically extending strip with a vertically extending protruding section having generally vertically aligned vertically extending slots therein, said end fitting including a shank formed for mounting to an end of said cargo bar, said shank terminating in a coupling end, first coupling means mounted to said coupling end formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said first belt rail, and second coupling means mounted to said coupling end and formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said second belt rail, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of relatively spaced apart flanges extending substantially perpendicularly and outwardly of said coupling end proximate the top and the bottom sides of said coupling end, said flanges extending outwardly of said coupling end to substantially the same distance; said first coupling means being formed as a pair of pins extending from said coupling end intermediate said flanges and formed for insertion into said apertures in said first belt rail, said pins being movably mounted to said end fitting and resiliently biased to a first position extending outwardly of said coupling end and retractable to a second position enabling coupling of said end fitting to said second belt rail and said third belt rail; and said second coupling means being formed as a locking bar movably mounted to said coupling end and dimensioned for insertion into said slots in said second belt rail and said third belt rail, said locking bar being resiliently biased to an extended position outwardly of said flanges for insertion into said slots while said flanges bear upon the protruding portion proximate said slots and being displaceable to a withdrawn position inwardly of said flanges allowing coupling of said end fitting to said first belt rail by means of said pins.

Claim 13

An end fitting for a cargo bar formed for coupling of said cargo bar to any one of a first belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side apertures therein, a second belt rail formed as a horizontally extending strip with a horizontally extending protruding section having side-by-side vertically extending slots therein, and a third belt rail formed as a vertically extending strip with a vertically extending protruding section having generally vertically aligned vertically extending slots therein, said end fitting including a shank formed for mounting to an end of said cargo bar, said shank terminating in a coupling end, first coupling means mounted to said coupling end formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said first belt rail, and second coupling means mounted to said coupling end and formed for releasable coupling of said cargo bar to said second belt rail, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of relatively spaced apart flanges extending substantially perpendicularly and outwardly of said coupling end proximate the top and the bottom sides of said coupling end, said flanges extending outwardly of said coupling end to substantially the same distance; said first coupling means being formed as a pair of pins extending from said coupling end intermediate said flanges and formed for insertion into said apertures in said first belt rail, said pins being movably mounted to said end fitting and resiliently biased to a first position extending outwardly of said coupling end and retractable to a second position enabling coupling of said end fitting to said second belt rail and said third belt rail; and said second coupling means being formed as a locking bar movably mounted to said coupling end and dimensioned for insertion into said slots in said second belt rail and said third belt rail, said locking bar being resiliently biased to an extended position outwardly of said flanges for insertion into said slots while said flanges bear upon the protruding portion proximate said slots and being displaceable to a withdrawn position inwardly of said flanges allowing coupling of said end fitting to said first belt rail by means of said pins.

Claim 14

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 10 wherein, said locking bar is generally vertically oriented; and said flange members are each bifurcated and said coupling end is slotted to provide a recess for movement and receipt of said locking bar to said withdrawn position.

Claim 15

An end fitting for a cargo bar as defined in claim 10 wherein, a lower edge of said flanges is formed for interengagement with a horizontally extending groove in said first belt rail; and said locking bar includes latch means for releasably securing said locking bar against withdrawal from said slots in said second belt rail and in said third belt rail.